CHAPTER 13:ASHES AND BLOOD

The Veilwood howled as unnatural fire consumed its ancient heart. The towering trees, once protectors of the land, cracked and collapsed, their leaves turning to embers that swirled through the smoke-filled air.

Seraphina stood with her dagger drawn, her breath shallow from the thickening haze. Beside her, Kael gripped his sword, eyes scanning the treeline where Aldric's soldiers approached—figures clad in black armor, moving like shadows through the flickering firelight.

This was it.

There was no running now.

The battle had begun.

The First Strike

The first soldier lunged, blade flashing in the firelight. Kael parried swiftly, twisting his sword to deflect the strike before driving his knee into the man's chest. The soldier staggered back, but another replaced him instantly.

Seraphina dodged a sweeping attack, feeling the heat of metal graze her shoulder. With a quick step, she slashed upward with her dagger, catching the soldier across the arm. He hissed in pain but did not fall.

They were surrounded.

The enemy pressed forward, and for every man they struck down, two more emerged from the smoke.

Kael's swordwork was relentless, his blade a silver blur as he fought to protect them both. But Seraphina knew the truth—

They couldn't hold out forever.

And worse—

Aldric was coming.

The King's Arrival

From a ridge beyond the burning trees, King Aldric watched the battle unfold, his expression unreadable. His dark cape billowed as he surveyed the flames devouring the Veilwood, his warhounds growling at his feet.

Lord Cedric Valerius approached. "They're resisting, but they won't last much longer."

Aldric's eyes narrowed. "She should know better than to fight me."

His fingers curled, dark energy coiling like smoke around his hands. The fire he had unleashed was no ordinary blaze—it was magic designed to consume not just the land, but the spirits that protected it.

"The Veilwood is dying," Aldric said softly, almost to himself. "And with it, their last hope."

He turned his gaze to the battlefield below.

It was time to end this.

The Spirits' Cry

As Seraphina fought, a sudden wave of energy surged through the air. It was not fire. Not steel.

Something ancient stirred beneath the burning trees.

The whispers of the Veilwood spirits grew louder, echoing through Seraphina's mind. They were crying out in pain, in anger, in desperation.

She felt them pulling at her, their voices merging into a single thought—

"Stand. Fight. Protect."

A sudden heat burned in her chest, not from the flames, but from within. The magic of the Veilwood had chosen her.

And in that moment, Seraphina knew what she had to do.

She gripped Kael's arm. "The forest isn't dead yet."

His brows furrowed. "What are you—?"

She didn't hesitate.

Closing her eyes, she reached deep into the magic thrumming in the air, into the lifeblood of the Veilwood itself.

And she called upon it.

The Forest Fights Back

A pulse of green-gold light exploded from Seraphina's fingertips, racing across the ground like wildfire. The moment it touched the trees, the dying forest shuddered—and awakened.

Roots surged up from the earth, twisting like serpents. Vines lashed forward, ensnaring Aldric's soldiers, dragging them into the undergrowth.

The men screamed, their torches snuffed out by the forest's sudden wrath.

Kael stumbled back, eyes wide. "Seraphina… what did you do?"

She exhaled, feeling the last echoes of the spirits fade into her bones. "I didn't do it alone."

She turned her gaze to the battlefield.

For the first time in centuries, the Veilwood was fighting back.

And they still had a chance.

Aldric's Wrath

From the ridge, Aldric's fury burned hotter than his flames.

The forest was not supposed to resist him. His magic should have consumed it completely.

And yet—

There she stood.

His daughter, glowing with magic she should not have been able to wield.

Aldric's hands trembled with rage. "She dares defy me."

The shadows around him thickened as he lifted his hand, preparing to unleash a spell powerful enough to turn the entire battlefield to ash.

But before he could strike—

A voice cut through the chaos.

"Enough."

A figure stepped forward—an old man in tattered robes, his face hidden beneath a deep hood. The air around him shimmered with power, and even Aldric's flames seemed to hesitate.

Aldric's eyes darkened. "You."

The old man removed his hood.

His eyes were silver, glowing with the same ancient magic now coursing through Seraphina's veins.

And his voice was as old as the forest itself.

"This is not your war to win, Aldric."

The battle was far from over.

To Be Continued…